a. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to latching assemblies and in particular to latching assemblies for a disk pack handle or the like.
b. Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,609 E. Rager discloses three functions which are performed by a handle for a disk pack. First, the handle should lay flat on the cover of a disk pack for compact storage. Second, the handle may be used to pick up a disk pack. Third, when a latch is activated, the handle may be used to separate the cover of the pack from the remainder of the container, so that a disk connected to the cover may be inserted in a disk drive or a computer.
At least two types of latching assemblies are known in the prior art. One type is disclosed in the previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,609. In this latching assembly, a latch housing is provided which resides between opposite sides of a U-shaped disk pack handle. The housing has a sliding button which moves transverse to the lengthwise dimension of the housing and nudges two movable dogs outwardly latching the housing to the handle. Two nested pivots in pivot sockets within the housing are then raised when the handle is raised, providing leverage for separating a disk pack cover and a connected disk from a disk container.
Another type of latching assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,701 to W. Wirth. In this patent a slider button is provided which moves along the length of the latch housing in order to lock an interior pivoting metal member in place so that lifting of the cover of the disk pack may be achieved. In the Wirth device, the latch housing is stationary relative to the handle. This is in contrast to the prior Rager device wherein the latch is secured to the handle only during the separation of a disk pack cover from the contents. The advantage of the prior Rager device is that it is relatively simple. On the other hand, one of the advantages of the Wirth device is that the direction of motion of the slider button is universally recognized in the computer industry.
An object of the present invention was to devise a latch assembly in which the slider motion was parallel to the elongated dimension of the latch housing in accord with customary practice within the industry, yet which is economical to construct and which provides good disk separation from a container.